U.S. patent number 4,999,206 [Application Number 07/447,203] was granted by the patent office on 1991-03-12 for method for forming three dimensional food products.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Food Forming Corporation. Invention is credited to James L. Lortz.
United States Patent |
4,999,206 |
Lortz |
March 12, 1991 |
Method for forming three dimensional food products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming food materials into three
dimensional shapes that may be made to duplicate the appearance of
a variety of natural food products. The machine comprises a dual
rotary, matching forming cavity apparatus for producing, at
continuous high speeds, food products in a variety of shapes. One
embodiment of the invention employs a plurality of forming bars
mounted in the dual rotary drums of the machine, the forming bars
are easily removable and replacable with similar bars having
different product forming cavities. Cam operated means are
associated with the drums or the forming bars for ejecting formed
products from the cavities.
Inventors: |
Lortz; James L. (Modesto,
CA) |
Assignee: |
Food Forming Corporation (Reno,
NV)
|
Family
ID: |
26815501 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/447,203 |
Filed: |
December 7, 1989 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
117659 |
Nov 6, 1987 |
4886441 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
426/512;
426/285 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A21C
7/04 (20130101); A22C 7/0015 (20130101); A22C
7/0069 (20130101); A22C 25/00 (20130101); A23P
30/10 (20160801) |
Current International
Class: |
A23P
1/10 (20060101); A21C 7/00 (20060101); A21C
7/04 (20060101); A22C 7/00 (20060101); A22C
25/00 (20060101); A23P 001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;426/512,285
;425/236,237,362,363,DIG.5,308,195 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Yeung; George
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Wasson; George W.
Parent Case Text
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 117,659,
filed Nov. 6, 1987 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,441.
Claims
I claim:
1. A method for producing three dimensional molded food products
from formable input food materials supplied under pressure to a
sanitizable product forming machine employing a pair of parallel,
rotatable, cylinder-like forming barrels, one of said barrels being
positioned above the other to establish an upper and lower barrel
with the outer surface of said barrels in tangential contact at a
food forming position and said formable input food materials being
supplied under pressure to said barrels adjacent to said tangential
contact at said food forming position, said barrels being
respectively rotatable about parallel axes substantially fixed with
respect to each other in a manner to establish tangential mating
alignment between the external cylinder-like surfaces of said
barrels, the outer surface of at least one of said forming barrels
having an inwardly cut-out portion to create at least one cavity, a
movable means within said cavity, said movable means being movable
radially with respect to the axis of rotation of said barrel, and a
means for moving said movable means in said radial movement, said
means for moving being positioned within said barrel in radial
alignment with said cavity, a food material input chamber aligned
with said outer surface of said forming barrels adjacent to said
position of tangential contact of said barrels, said input chamber
being positioned with respect to said position of tangential
contact for input of food materials into said cavity in said
forming barrel under pressure as said barrels are rotated about
their axes, the steps comprising:
(a) rotating said forming barrels,
(b) feeding said food material under pressure into said food input
chamber and into said cavity within said one of said barrels as
said barrels are rotated,
(c) continuously rotating said forming barrels to produce said
three dimensional molded food products from said input food
material forced into said cavity as said barrels are rotated,
(d) moving said movable means in said cavity to force said molded
food material from said cavity in said one of said barrels as a
complete unit after said position of tangential contact has been
passed,
(e) and controlling said radial movement of said movable means in
accord with the rotational position of said forming barrels.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said movement of said movable
means is determined by a pair of stationary cam means that are
adjustably positioned in rotational angle with respect to the
position of rotation of said forming barrels and with respect to
said position of tangential contact of said forming barrels.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said pair of parallel
forming barrels has a cavity and said movable means includes a pair
of movable means one each of said pair of movable means being
associated with one of said pair of parallel forming barrels, the
method being controlled such that said movable means are movable
after said position of tangential contact of said barrels and said
movable means of one of said forming barrels forces said molded
food material out of a cavity in the upper of said pair of forming
barrels before said movable means associated with the lower of said
pair of forming barrels forces said food material from the cavity
of said lower forming barrel.
Description
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming food
materials into three dimensional food products. More particularly,
the method and machine are useful in forming food products into a
variety of three dimensional forms from a formable feed stock,
changes in the form of the product are easily made by changing only
a part of the machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Machines for forming food products from a food base feed stock are
well known. Most such machines form the products in wafers, patties
or other forms that in no way resembles a familiar form for a part
of the stock from which the feed stock was produced In many cases
the formed product is merely a compaction of the feed stock in a
form that is most easily formed by the machine or a form that is
stamped or cut from a sheet of feed stock
Various methods and machines have been developed over the years for
shaping food materials to enhance their value and marketability.
Some of those methods have utilized the single rotary concept with
forming cavities in one roll only with another roll serving only as
an applicator roll and functioning only to fill the cavities in the
forming roll and to compress the feed material. In all such
machines known to the present inventor, the forming cavities are an
integral part of the roll structure and changes in the forming
cavities are only effected by changing the entire forming roll.
Those machines with the forming cavity as an integral part of the
roll structure have had the limitation of forming only two
dimensional products, and a lack of versatility in changing from
one product form to another, and for those reasons those machines
have been uneconomic in serving the food forming industry.
It has become desirable to form food articles in three dimensional
forms that resemble a part of the source of the feed stock. For
instance, it is desirable to form chicken feed stock in the form of
drum sticks or breasts, or to form fish feed stock in the form of
small fish, or to form shrimp feed stock in the form of shrimp.
Food processors do not wish to have machines dedicated to the
formation of a single food product and would prefer to have a
machine that can be easily adapted or changed from forming one
product into a machine for forming another product. Quick changes
from one form to another form are desirable, not only because quick
changes are less labor intensive but also because the time taken to
effect the change reduces the time spent in the formation of food
products.
In light of these desires within the food product forming industry
there has developed a need for a universal food product forming
machine that may be adapted to the formation of many different food
products with the changes between food products being made easily
and with a minimum of equipment.
The object of the present invention is a method for forming three
dimensional food products from a feed stock of food materials with
a machine that is adapted to form a variety of food forms and is
adapted to be changed from one food form to another with a minimum
of effort and time.
A further object in accord with the preceding object is a food
forming machine that will form three dimensional food objects from
a feed stock and will take an input of compressible feed stock,
form that stock into the desired product, and eject the formed
product from the forming machine.
A further object in accord with the preceding object is a rotary
food product forming machine that will continuously receive feed
stock, form the stock into a desired form, and eject the formed
stock from the rotary machine in preparation for the formation of
the next food product.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a rotating dual drum food product forming
machine that is capable of forming food products in three
dimensional or two dimensional forms on a continuous basis. The
forming parts of the machine are easily changeable without
completely disassembling the machine. The machine and its method of
operation are capable of increasing the production of formed food
products and permitting the formation of three dimensional products
in a variety of forms.
Other objects and features of the invention will be readily
apparent to those skilled in the art from the appended drawings and
specification illustrating a preferred embodiment wherein
FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially in section, of the
essential elements of the present invention.
FIG. 2 a front elevational view of the dual food product forming
barrels of one form of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view, partially in section,
illustrating the forming barrels including food forming bars.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view through the food forming barrels taken
generally along the lines 4--4 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along the lines 5--5 of
FIG. 2 and illustrating the cams and cam followers of the present
invention.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view through the center of the dual food
forming barrels of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternative form of a forming
bar.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a general overall assembly drawing illustrating the
essential parts of the present invention. It should be understood
that some of the conventional parts of a machine to perform the
method of the present invention are not shown, but such parts do
not form an essential part of the invention. For example, it should
be understood that the dual rotary cylindrical forming barrels
would be supported on some form of bearing support to permit them
to rotate about parallel axes and that the drive mechanism for the
apparatus would have to be supported on a suitable frame that would
also support the bearings for the forming barrels. Also, while only
one side of the support elements are shown in FIG. 1 it should be
evident that duplicated bearing supports or cams and cam followers
are at the side not shown.
The essential parts of the machine 10 of the present invention are
the pair of parallel, cylindrical forming barrels 12 and 14, with
12 being the upper barrel and 14 the lower barrel. The barrels are
each supported on their own central shaft, not shown in this FIG,
so as to rotate parallel to each other in the direction of the
arrows shown on the front face of the barrels. A food material
input chamber 16 is shown as a hollow rectangular input chute for
the entry of food materials to the rotating barrels. It should be
understood that the food material input chamber is connected to a
source of fluid like or plastic flowable food materials that are to
be formed by the machine of the present invention.
FIG. 1 illustrates one form of the apparatus in accord with the
present invention wherein, along the exterior of the forming
barrels 12 and 14 are a suitable plurality of mating forming bars
here shown as four, 18, 20, 22 and 24. Bars 18 and 20 are in the
upper barrel and 22 and 24 in the lower barrel; bars 20 and 22 are
shown in mating alignment with each other and bars 18 and 24 will
rotate to mating alignment as the barrels are rotated.
Each of the forming bars are formed with a suitable plurality of
cut-out portions defining cavities 26 along the bars. The cavities
constitute half forms of a three dimensional food product that is
to be formed by the machine of the present invention. It is not
evident from FIG. 1, but it will be shown in later views, that each
of the bars has the same number of cavities and the cavities become
aligned with each other as the bars align during their
rotation.
Inside each of the cavities and inwardly of the bars and barrels is
a movable means in the form of a piston 28 that passes through a
hole in the bar and into the cavity. The movable piston means is
suitably fixed to a piston bar 30 so as to move radially within the
barrel with movement of the piston bar. The piston bars 30 are
rotated with the barrels 12 and 14, by means not shown in this FIG,
and are free to move radially within the barrels as they rotate
with the barrels.
To the left of the forming barrels 12 and 14, as shown in FIG. 1,
are a pair of cam members 32 and 34; each cam member, being
suitably supported in a cam support 36 here shown in phantom. The
cam members have individual cam tracks 38 and 40 formed in the face
of the cam members 32 and 34, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 1, the ends of the piston bars 30 terminate in a
cam follower 42 that fits within and follows the path of the cam
tracks 38 or 40. As the barrels 12 and 14 rotate the piston bars 30
rotate with the barrels and the cam followers 42 at the ends of the
piston bars 30 follow the tracks 38 or 40 and thus move the piston
bars radially within the barrels. That radial movement moves the
pistons 28 within the cavities at desirable times in the rotation
of the barrels.
FIG. 1 also illustrates, conceptually, a drive mechanism for
rotation of the cylindrical forming barrels 12 and 14. As here
illustrated, a motor 50 (with suitable controls, not shown)
provides rotary power to a shaft 52 and a gear drive system 54
connects shaft 56 to shaft 52 to rotate the shafts in opposite
directions. Shafts 52 and 56 extend through the center of
stationary cams 32 and 34, respectively, and support suitable means
not shown in this FIG for driving the barrels 12 and 14,
respectively. For the illustrative purpose of this FIG it should be
evident that drive from the motor 50 rotates the shafts 52 and 56
and the barrels attached to those shafts.
Below the assembled forming barrels 12 and 14 is a takeaway
conveyor 44 and behind the barrel 14 is a chute 46; these elements
being used to receive and convey formed food articles that have
been produced as the barrels rotate. The formation of the articles
and the use of the takeaway system will be further discussed
hereinafter.
FIG. 2 is a front elevation view illustrating the system shown in
FIG. 1 and the duplicated support systems at each side thereof.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective illustration of the barrels 12
and 14 and illustrating one form of support of the barrels on the
shafts 52 and 56. As here illustrated, the barrels 12 and 14
terminate in end plates 58 and 60, respectively, which may be
suitably attached as by welding to the interior ends of the
barrels. The end plates 58 and 60 are cutout formed at 70 to
provide access to the assembly of the forming bars (18, 20, 22)
with pistons (28) and piston bars (30). One of the assembled
forming bars is shown withdrawn from the drum 12 and the piston bar
30 of that assembly is shown in contact with a cam track 38 in a
cam 32. None of the supporting framework of the apparatus is shown
in this FIG; however, it should be understood that the elements
illustrated are supported by framework of the type suggested in
FIG. 1.
FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken along the cutting lines
shown in FIG. 1 with FIG. 4 illustrating the forming barrels 12 and
14, the forming bars 18, 20, 22 and 24, the pistons 28, the piston
bars 30, the takeaway conveyor 44 and the chute 46. In this FIG the
relative positions of the pistons 28 in the different forming bars
are shown. Note that the piston 28 in the upper bar 18 in barrel 12
is at the low part of the cavity 26 whereas the piston 28 in the
lower bar 24 in the barrel 14 is extending out of cavity 26 in that
bar. The pistons are moved within the cavities as the piston bars
30 are moved as they follow the tracks 38 or 40 in the cams 32 or
34. When the barrels, are aligned in a rotational position as shown
in FIG. 4 it should be noted that the cavities 26 of the forming
bars 20 and 22 are aligned with each other and the pistons are
retracted from the cavities. A food article is being formed in this
position of the barrels.
FIG. 5 illustrates the cams 32 and 34 in side elevation and as
oriented for the positions of the barrels 12 and 14 as shown in
FIG. 4. The cams 32 and 34 have the cam tracks 38 and 40,
respectively, and the cam followers 42 of the respective forming
bars 18, 20, 22 and 24 are shown in the tracks 38 and 40. It should
be noted that the cam tracks 38 and 40 in the cams 32 and 34 are
substantially identical but are oriented a little differently
within the cam support structure 36 as shown schematically in FIG.
1.
Considering first the action of cam 32 and its track 38, with the
orientation as shown in FIG. 5, and with counterclockwise rotation
of the barrel 12 as illustrated in FIG. 4, the track 38 in cam 32
will cause the cam follower 42 for the piston bar 30 of the lower
forming bar 20 of barrel 12 to begin to move the piston 28 in that
cavity 26 outwardly to push articles out of the cavity 26. It
should be evident from comparing the action of that piston 28 to
the position of the chute 46 in FIG. 4 that the piston is clearing
the cavity 26 in the forming bar 20 as the cavity approaches the
chute.
Considering now the action of the cam 34 and its track 40, with the
orientation as shown in FIG. 5, and with clockwise rotation of the
barrel 14 as illustrated in FIG. 4, the track 40 in cam 34 will
cause the cam follower 42 of the piston bar 30 of the upper forming
bar 22 of barrel 14 to remain in a withdrawn position with respect
to its cavity 26 until the barrel has rotated about 90 degrees when
the cam follower 42 will follow the track 40 and begin to enter the
cavity 26 to push articles out of the cavity 26. As the articles
are forced out they will drop into the chute 46 and be carried to
the takeaway conveyor 44.
FIG. 6 is a further enlargement and detailed showing, in section,
of the forming barrels 12 and 14, the forming bars 18, 20, 22 and
24, the cavities 26, and the pistons 28. In the position
illustrated in this FIG, the forming bars 20 and 22 are mated with
their cavities 26 aligned. In the form here illustrated, the
cavities 26 have double chambers and the pistons 28 are double
pistons with a piston operating within each chamber. The supporting
and driving shafts 52 and 56 are shown passing through bearings 62
and 64, respectively, in the cams 32 and 34, respectively. The end
plates 58 and 60 are shown in the section of the illustration and
it should be understood that these end plates are attached by
suitable means such as by being welded to the shafts 52 and 56,
respectively. The collared end plates 58 and 60 provide the rotary
drive to the barrels 12 and 14, respectively.
In FIG. 4 the radial movement on the piston bars within the barrels
12 and 14 can be seen. As shown in the center of the FIG the piston
bars are separated from the inside surface of the barrels as the
products are being formed and compressed in the cavities 26. In the
lower portion of this illustration the piston bar 30 is near the
inside surface of the lower barrel 14 and the pistons are in the
position to force the product from the cavity. A cutoff wire 81 is
shown in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 4 in a position to insure that formed
products are cleared to the takeaway conveyor 44.
A feature that distinguishes the food forming machine of the form
shown in FIG. 1 from other barrel forming machines is the feature
of ease of changing the form of the forming bar. It should be
apparent that the forming bar is the only part of the forming
barrels that need be changed to change the form of a product being
formed. As shown in FIG. 1 and 3 the end plates 58 and 60 are
formed with cut-out portions 70 that permit the piston bars 30 to
move radially and the circumference of the barrels are machined
along their axial surface to provide slots 72 in the exterior of
the barrels. The forming bar assemblies which include the forming
bars 18, 20, 22 and 24, the pistons 28 and the piston bars 30 are
removable from the forming barrels 12 and 14 by being slid out
through the machined slots 72. Replacement forming bars with
perhaps different cavities may then be inserted into the slots 72
and the barrels 12 and 14 are ready for forming products again.
While the supports for the machine have not been specifically
shown, it should be understood that such support systems may be
designed to permit the easy removal and replacement of the forming
bars.
The machine of the present invention is also capable of forming
articles that are dimensional only on one side. For that purpose, a
forming bar 80 of the type shown in FIG. 7 may be used. This
forming bar 80 has no cavities and has an outer surface that would
be the same curvature as the curvature of the barrel in which it
was installed. With no cavities in the forming bar 80 there would
be no need for the piston and piston bar assembly as shown in the
other FIGs.
The present invention also contemplates the construction of the
forming barrels without inserts of the froming bars. In that form
the forming barrels would be a continuous cylindrical form with
cavities formed in their exteriors. The cavities of barrels above
each other would be aligned to assure that the cavities mate when
forming three dimensional products. The cavities would also have a
cutout to permit movement of the pistons into the cavities and the
assembled mechanism would include the cams, cam followers and
piston bars needed to effect the desired movement of the
pistons.
The machine of the present invention is adapted to form three
dimensional food products from input food materials by using a pair
of parallel cylinder-like forming barrels 12 and 14 that are
rotatable about parallel axes. The barrels may be a one piece
barrel with a continuous cylindrical surface or may be provided
with removable forming bars 18, 20, 22 and 24 as shown in FIG. 1
and those bars have a major portion of their outer surface in an
axial direction formed to conform or have the same curvature as the
outside of the barrels. The exterior of the barrels or the bars may
be formed with cavities 26 that establish the contours of the
articles being formed in the cavities. A movable piston 28 operates
within the cavities and a piston operating means 30 moves the
pistons within the cavities. A set of cams 32 and 34 are formed
with cam tracks 38 and 40 for timing the movement of the pistons
within the cavities and a set of cam followers 42 follow the cam
tracks to cause movement of the piston operating means. The machine
is also provided with a food material input chamber for passing
food materials to the cavities in the barrels and .a formed food
product takeaway conveyor is provided to convey the formed articles
to their next step in production.
The barrels are rotated in counter directions and meet tangentially
at their formation position so that food materials are fed through
the input chamber to the cavities. At the meeting rotational
position, the cavities of forming bars in the opposite barrels are
aligned. The further rotation of the barrels causes the food
material to be compressed and formed in the cavities. Continued
rotation of the barrels is accompanied by radial movement of the
piston bars and the resultant movement of the pistons within the
cavities. At the appropriate alignment of the cavities, with
respect to the takeaway conveyor, the pistons move within the
cavities and eject the formed food article to the conveyor.
While certain preferred embodiments of the invention has been
specifically disclosed and described, it should be understood that
the invention is not limited thereto as many variations will be
readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is
to be given its broadest possible interpretation within the terms
of the following claims.
* * * * *